The Platte County Citizen

A large chunk of land in Platte County now has a sewer system in place, setting the stage for the Northland’s next population boom.
Last week, Kansas City Water Services completed a two-year, $40 million sewer expansion currently known as the Twin Creeks project. Originally known as the First and Second Creek Sewer Expansion Project when the ceremonial groundbreaking occurred on April 10, 2013, the infrastructure expands wastewater service to 13,000 acres of land for future development, which is ultimately expected to attract more than 70,000 residents.

The majority of the land is located between Interstate 435 (north boundary), Interstate 29 (west boundary, Highway 152 (south boundary) and U.S. Highway 169 (east boundary).

“This project, which was made possible by voter-approved bonds, represents a significant investment in the future of Kansas City,” said Terry Leeds, KC Water Services director. “By ensuring the accessibility and quality of wastewater services to meet the growing needs of our community, we are supporting the health and well-being of the public and the economic development of Kansas City for future generations.”

The development area represents roughly 2.5 times the acreage of Gladstone, Mo., and would provide the potential to expand Kansas City’s existing population by 15 percent, according to a news release. The Twin Creeks project included the construction of 54,500 feet (almost 10.5 miles) of sewer main and two new pump stations.

Now that wastewater service is available in this area, new home construction is expected to begin this spring. The majority of the new residences will fall inside the boundary of the Platte County R-3 School District and could help to organically grow its tax base.

In December 2014, the Platte County Economic Development Council presented the City of Kansas City, Missouri and KC Water Services with a “Business Excellence Award” for the Twin Creeks project. The awards were presented to entities that positively impacted the Platte County community through new investment, job creation, increased visibility and increased tax base.